Brake-ratchet.



G. SANDI'FER.

BRAKE RATCHET. AP'PucATloN FILED ocT.26.1914.

Patented July. 6, 19,15. f

GEORGE SANDIFER, OF MOBERLY, MISSOURI.

' BRAKE-BATCHET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July e, i915.

Application ined october 26, i914. serial No. 868,637.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE SANDIFER, a.citizen of the United States, and resident of Moberly, Randolph county,Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBrake-Ratchets, of which the following is a specification containing afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My linvention relates to ari improved brake ratchet for railway cars,and consists in the novel construction hereinafter described andspecifically designated in the appended claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved brake ratchet whichshall be more efficient than the brake ratchets heretofore known to me,whereby the brakeman, or other operator may more perfectly control thehand brakes of railway cars, and the ratchet mechanism will moresecurely hold the brakes when applied.

In the drawings: Figure l is a'n elevation of myimproved brake ratchetas it appears on the end of a freight car; Fig. 2 is a plan view of theratchet casing with the cover remo-ved therefrom; Fig. 3 is an invertedplan view of the cover; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the casingand cover.

The ordinal 5 vindicates the usual brake staff, having at its upper endthe hand wheel 6, and mounted in the usual bearings 7, so that it islocated conveniently forvthe brakeman. In the present instance I haveshown the brake staff with my invention applied thereto, mounted on theend of a freight car, but it isA obvious that the brake staff and itsconnections mayl be mounted in any other common position, as forinstance, on car platforms, as is the' case with passenger coaches.

. 8 indicates a platform or foot rest applied to the end of the car, andsupported thereon by means of suitable. brackets 9. Mounted upon thisplatform is the ratchet casing 10, which is preferably cylindrical andprovided with anumber of perforated ears 11. Said casing 10 is providedwith a cover 12, which also has perforated ears 13, and is vsecured inposition upon said casing by" means of suitable bolts 14, which pass'through the registering perforations of the said ears of both casing andcover. A rabbeted joint 15 is formed upon the meeting' edges of the saidcasing and its cover, for

of ratchet teeth 19.

ner` surface of the said cover 12 is a vcurved or segmental lug 20,preferably cast integral wlth said cover. Pivotally mounted in thecurved vertical' space between the said lug and the curved outer wall ofthe'said cover is a pawl 21, which is curved to conform tov thecurvature of the segmental lug 20 and the curved Wall of said cover.Said pawlis pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends upon a suitablepivot which in the present instance is in the form of a bolt 22, whichis passed through an aperture in the vertical wall of lsaid cover, andthrough a perforation in the said pawl, and into a perforation formed inthe said segmental lug. By'this means the said pawl 21 is mounted in aposition above the said teeth 19 of the said ratchet disk, and with oneend of said pawl in engagement with said teeth. The end of the saidpawl21 which is in engagement with'the said teeth, has a greater weight thanits opposite ends, so that said heavier end of said pawl willnormally-rest in contact with said teeth. The .said pawl 21 is releasedfrom the said teeth by the foot of the brakeman or operatorpressingfdowni wardly upon a pedal pin 23, which operates loosely in anopening 24 formed in the said cover 12, and has its lower -end connectedto the end of said pawl 21, which is opposite its tooth engaging end.The said pedal pin top of said Icover 12, and has upon its upper end alateral projecting portion 25 beneath. which the brakeman .may inserthis toe, in order to lift the said pin should it become frozen or stuck.A spring 26 is coiled around the projecting portion of said pedal pin23, and its lower end rests upon a common washer, placed upon the uppersurface of the-said cover 12 while the upper end of said springr bearsagainst the said lateral projection 25 of the said pedal pin andnormally tends to lift the said pin and assist in holding the said pawl21 in engagement with the teeth of the said ratchet disk 18. The saidcasing 10 is fixed to said platform often become loosened after use,Iand have been lost, permitting the ratchet Wheels to become loose ontheir brake-staffs, with the result that the brakes have been rendereduseless, and accidents have been caused thereby. Furthermore, in oldstyle ratchets and paWls, the brake-stai sometimes moved axiallyand-carried the ratchet wheel out of engagement with the pawl, andthereby accidentally released the brakes. My improved constructioneifectually locks the key in position within the casing, prevents axialmovement of the brake staff, and entirely obviates accidents which haveheretofore rendered the brake-staff and its ratchet Wheel inoperative byaxial movement of the staif and loosening of their key.

l do not limit myself to the exact construction of parts shown in thedrawing, as

vit is obvious they may be altered by skilled Workmen without departingfrom the scope of my invention.

The operation of my invention is obvious to skilled railway trainmen,and need not be further explained. lits principal advantage lies in itsgreater efficiency in holding the brake applied and in preventing theshaking loose of the pawl from the ratchet and the accidental release ofthe brakes.

l: claim:

l. The combination with a brake steif of a suitable casing havingperforated ears, a

.ratchet disk having teeth upon its upper face and fixed upon said brakestaff W said casing, a suitable cover having upcinterior a dependingcurved lug, a cur pawl pivotally mounted in the curved .i ical spacebetween curved outer wall ci said curved lug and the said cover,suitable bolts for securing said cover upon 4 ing, and for securing thecasing to the car, and a pedal pin projecting threugli an opening in thesaid cover and engaging one end of said paivl.

rlhe combination with a brake staff oi a suitable casing havingperforated ears, a ratchet disk. .having teeth upon its upper 'ic-aceand liked upon said brake staff within said casing, a suitable coverhaving upon its interior a depending curved segmental lng, a curved pawlpivotally mounted in the space between said lug and thesaid cover,suitable bolts for secuing said cover upnn. said casing, and forsecuring the casing to the car, a pedall pin projecting through anopening in the said cover and engaging one end of said pawl, and alateral projection upon the upper end of said pedal pin, whereby the toeof the brakeinan may lift said pedal pin.

ln testimony whereof, l have signed my name to ythis 'specilicatiom inpresence cf 7e two subscribing Witnesses.1

GEORGE SANDFE Witnesses E. L. WTALLACE, donnl C. HrenoN.

